#after 12 STRAIGHT HOURS OF NONSTOP EDITING: I bring you this

[kishimotomasashi]

All in the name of being holy

Sasuke and Itachi ✘ Buy The Stars - Marina and the Diamonds [AMV]

[gigilberry-wips]

Ch. 8. Merida’s POV: Late September

Media: Fanfiction

Rating: General

Warnings:

Verbal micro-aggression directed at Merida. It’s after the first chapter break and the beginning and end of it are marked with “+++”

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J.K Rowling, Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons/The Big Four, Brave (2012)

Characters: Merida (Brave), Original Female Characters, Original Male Characters, Original Non-Human Characters

Tags: Hogwarts AU, kid!fic, Boarding School, Fantasy Elements, Angst, Family Angst, Relationships, Bullying, Growing Pains

Word count: 4,648 words

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

AO3 Link

Summary:

Merida’s first month of Hogwarts is not off to a good start

.°○♧○°.

A/N:

I've had this sitting unedited in my drafts for ages. I literally have exams next week but this thing's been bugging me nonstop and I finally got fed up enough with my brain that I gave this an edit and chucked it into the void. This chapter isn't one of the happier ones, but it is a necessary, bridging chapter. Next chapter will have more good feels.

.°○♧○°.

Merida wondered if she’d gone mad.

Was it the homesickness getting to her? Was it the thought of attending day after boring day of classes? Was it the fact that that castle in particular gave her the worst feeling, like it was slowly growing smaller and smaller and the walls were edging nearer until they trapped her in and crushed her under their weight and she’d never see the light of day again?

…Perhaps that was taking it too far.

But that’s what it had felt like when she’d first come.

She woke up to the first day of classes and that’s when it hit. That this was real. That she wasn’t dreaming. That the night before had really happened and she was attending a real, proper, stone-and-mortar English boarding school.

And she…well. She panicked. She didn’t remember what happened but next thing she knew she was running through unknown corridors, scrambling up narrow stairs and twisting passageways until the stone walls fell away and she was met with green grass beneath her and blue skies above and she could finally, finally breathe.

She didn’t attend classes that first day. Or the second. Or the third.

She never stayed away for too long—the adults found her before then. They always found her.

The first time that happened was when she’d been curled up behind the greenhouses. The professor had sat with her, eventually talking her into walking with him back to the castle for supper.

The second time a different adult had found her. She’d led her to the school’s sports stadium where a group of older students in the green of her House had flown high overhead on brooms. Merida had sat and watched without anyone bothering her for a good two hours before the woman—who it turned out to be the flying instructor and game coach—asked them to bring Merida with them back to the castle. The seniors were a lot nicer about it than she’d expected…they were nicer in general than she’d expected, too.

The third day, Saturday evening, was when the adult who found her led her to a small, cluttered room and told her to wait. The old woman returned with Merida’s Head of House, Professor Rao.

Professor Rao was as Merida remembered her: straight backed, bare headed, and steel grey hair pulled back into a knot. The impassive look on her face made it hard to tell if she was dismayed or not.

The professor gave her two things. One was a letter addressed from home, the other a bracelet made of small black stones.

“This is a shielding device. It will not monitor your location, but should you wander too near a place within the castle grounds that is dangerous, it will detect it. It will notify a professor and you will be found. This also serves to give a base level of protection against various wards should you need it.”

Merida opened her mouth, ready to protest because she didn’t believe a word of that, but her professor held her hand up. “I cannot force you to attend your classes or stay within the castle, nor will I. But there are certain places here that will harm you if you are not careful. You will wear this until it is deemed safe for you to remove it.”

Maybe someone should’ve thought of that before letting wizards design this castle! But Merida didn’t say it. Nor did she say anything when the professor took her hand and slid on the bracelet. It automatically shrunk to fit neatly around her wrist. Rao gave her the letter, nodded to the other old woman, and left.

Merida waited until supper was well underway before she ventured back to the empty dorms.

In spite of the envelope bearing her mother’s name, the contents of it also held letters from her father, her little brothers, and even a few of the staff from home. They were sweet, some making her smile.

The smile dropped when she got to her mother’s. Unlike the diplomatic letters she’d been taught to write, this one was short and to the point. Her mother had heard that she’d missed the first week’s classes. Either Merida attended them, or her horse Angus would be given to another home.

Merida tore a hole in that letter. She raged and cried and spent the rest of the evening letting the feelings crash through her. By the end of it she felt nothing but defeat.

Her mother had made her stance clear. Merida could no longer run away.

.°○♧○°.

Monday morning found the Great Hall bustling with students. Merida’s stomach tightened.

She’d vainly hoped that the hall might’ve been emptier. At least then there wouldn’t have been so many students milling around while she enacted her plan. Or maybe it was better this way. Maybe she’d…have more options, if there were more students available.

That didn’t do much for her courage.

If she were someone who found it easy to wake up early then she wouldn’t have had this problem. But she wasn’t. Instead, she was surrounded by eye-witnesses, all ready and eager to watch her embarrass herself, and the only thing she had were cold, sweaty palms and buzzing nerves to show for it.

Merida paced the corridor, the cold feeling creeping further and further up her spine. Until finally she shook herself, squared her shoulders, and marched into the hall.

At one end of the Slytherin table sat a small group of students who looked about Merida’s age. One even appeared to be her roommate. Merida made a path to them.

Legs feeling wooden, Merida plunked down at the table. All three girls visibly jumped.

Smile! Her mind supplied. Merida tried.

“Good morning! Nice day out, isn’t it?”

None of the girls moved. They stared at her as if she’d just strutted up to them in a sparkling peacock dress and invited them out for poker.

Eventually her roommate, a thin faced girl with limp blonde hair, was the first to speak. “…Do I know you?”

  +++ Here it comes +++

 “I’m your roommate, Merida.” Still no understanding. “Merida…Dunbroch?”

“…Oh! Oh. Aren’t you the one who’s always absent at role call?” Said a girl seated to her roommate’s left.

Merida internally cringed. “Ah…well, yeah, that’s…me, haha. It’s, um—it’s a long story. Not that I’ll bore you with all that, promise.”

She tried to laugh it off, but her audience didn’t seem to notice. They were busy sharing glances between each other. Merida didn’t pick up anything from their faces, but it was her roommate who nodded and turned to face her.

“So, what do you want, Merida—is that how you pronounce it? Meh-ree-dah?” Her mouth stretched out in an exaggerated way, as if Merida’s name stuck in her mouth like chewing gum.

“I suppose? I…I was thinking we could be friends, I guess. I think I missed out on a lot last week and I’d really like to get to know you.”

“You theenk, huh?” Her roommate tilted her head, one pale eyebrow raised. “Well, yes, you did actually. But that’s where your problem is. You see, we’ve already made groups.”

“Oh…you did?”

Her roommate’s friend nodded, looking very serious. “Oh yes, of course. It was all decided on the first day. Slytherins are very studious about their work. We want to do well, you know, and we like working efficiently. Do you know that word?”

“What word?”

“Efficiently.” She said, slowly and carefully.

“…Yes? Why wouldn’t I?”

What were these girls playing at? And why were they all smirking?

Her roommate tittered like her friend had just uttered some kind of joke. She patted the girl’s shoulder. “Oh, don’t mind her. We just wanted to make sure. I mean, it’s very hard to tell sometimes.”

“Tell what? I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Wait, wait, wait, sorry—could you, could you repeat that?” She leaned forward, one hand going to her ear. “I cahn’t really understand what you just said.”

Merida stared at her blankly.

Something wasn’t making sense here. She knew she was new to all this—this living in a new place, attending a boarding school, being surrounded by more children her own age than she’d ever quite realised could exist in a place all at once. She knew it would take time to get used to all this and that things would likely feel strange at first.

But there was something very…off about this conversation.

Had…had she been wrong? Was this girl actually an idiot? Obviously, they were both speaking English, so what was there to misunderstand? She seemed to have understood her just fine a few moments ago, so why—?

Then it clicked.

  +++

 Merida abruptly stood up. Without looking back, she strode out of the Great Hall, her face burning hot.

What kind of—how dare they—!

They thought she was stupid. They’d been laughing at her. And it wasn’t even because Merida had done something to earn that, oh no, it was much worse.

What possessed those little twats to have that kind of gall? So maybe Merida wasn’t always the brightest candle in the bunch. And maybe that had shown itself more often than not, if her childhood scrapes were anything to base off of.

But those girls didn’t know that. What happened back there had absolutely nothing to do with that. And from her own House, too.

She was a princess. She’d been taking etiquette lessons as soon as she could understand what those were. She’d come out the other end knowing three languages and a passing knowledge of at least five different dialects, with more on the way if her mother had any say in it. She’d learnt to smooth out the “Scottish lilt” from her English on command until it was barely noticeable, or else what would be the point of diplomacy if no one could understand her?

Her accent was fine, better than fine, she knew for a fact—but that wasn’t the point. The point was that if any of those girls had known who they were talking to, they wouldn’t have dared say such things. If they’d known who she was, they would’ve cried at her feet!

Merida buried her face in her hands and unleashed a muffled screech.

This wasn’t going to work. It wasn't even midday and everything was horrible and this wretched school was all wrong and no one was doing anything to change that because her parents had never once listened to her or anyone who didn’t see the world the way they did.

But what could she do? Her torn up letter was still buried in the bottom of her trunk. Her “bracelet” held fast to her arm, still mildly cold even after spending so much time against her skin.

She could try asking some other students in her House. Perhaps…perhaps she’d just gotten the rotten ones. They couldn’t all be that bad, could they?

But what if they are? Or even if they aren’t, what if none of them can help her? What if they don’t want to?

The problem with missing the first week of classes was that she had no class notes. She didn’t know what they’d covered in the lessons, what part of her textbooks she needed to read, or what homework she should’ve done. She could attend all the classes she liked but that wouldn’t help her if she didn’t understand what they were teaching.

If she didn’t find help from somewhere soon, then she’d fall even more behind than she already was and that wouldn’t make anyone happy with her. She couldn’t take the risk of waiting until the end of the day to go to her classmates individually and try her luck again. She needed help now.

…She would ask her professors. The adults wanted her to learn, right? And she needed help so they had to help her, right?

At the very least she could go to them and ask which parts of the textbook they’d already covered, if nothing else.

Mind made up, Merida loitered in the corridor until the Great Hall began to empty. She waited until she spotted a bunch of Slytherin first years walking out—of anyone formed into groups that big, then chances were that they were first years.

Merida sidled up to the group and joined in the back. Those little pr—those girls from earlier weren’t there, and none of the other students called attention to her, so she summoned her courage and tapped the shoulder of the nearest girl.

“Do you know if we have Transfiguration today? I, uh, I forgot my schedule.”

“Oh, well, if I remember it right…we have Charms for 1st period and Transfiguration for 2nd. After lunch is our A.B.C.D.’s and then History.” The girl gave Merida a considering look. “Would you like to come sit with us?”

“Yes, please!”

The morning passed with Merida slowly becoming a ball of nerves. She tried her best to keep quiet and take notes, even if she didn’t understand them.

As promised, Transfiguration came after Charms. By then, Merida had to resort to sitting on her hands so she didn’t immediately run up to her professor and demand help. She waited for the last student to pack up and leave before she calmly, confidently, strode up to the front.

Her professor sat behind the desk organising papers. Different names were listed on the top, and it made her wonder again just how much homework she’d missed. Upon her approach, her professor glanced up.

“Yes, Miss DunBroch? What is it?”

Her brown eyes held a sharp gleam to them. Merida stood straighter. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. She would not make a fool of herself. She could do this.

“…Regarding the classes I have missed, I would like to request some help. I don’t quite know what homework has been given out. I have asked my classmates as well, and I will seek their help in completing the homework, but I also wished to ask from the source so that I don’t miss anything.”

There. That was proper enough. She’d stated her wants clearly without making them into demands, hadn’t accused anyone of unseemly behaviour—even if certain “anyone”s deserved it—and she’d promised to be responsible for herself. It’d taken her all morning to come up with that, and she was proud of it.

“Hm. That is all well and good. But do you have the notes you will need to complete the homework?”

Merida’s quiet victory dampened.

“Not—not yet. But I will get them.”

“Do you know which part of the textbook has been covered? Do you know when the first in-class test will come?”

“…Not…not yet. But I’ll ask…”

Merida trailed off, not quite meeting her professor’s unreadable look. She kept her eyes on the desk, kept her feet firmly rooted because she was not ashamed and she would not run.

Her professor put aside the papers and took up her wand. “If I remember correctly, you didn’t receive your schedule, did you?”

Merida quietly shook her head.

Rao pulled out two small pieces of paper. One she tapped with her wand, making it stiffen. When she gave it to Merida, it had the first year time table printed on it. The other paper she folded into a paper aeroplane, her bone hand working in tandem with the flesh one. Merida suppressed a shiver. A tap of the wand and the paper aeroplane went flying out the door.

She invited Merida to take a seat, so she did. A few minutes later a Slytherin student walked through the door.

At first Merida thought she was a prefect. But the girl didn’t look old enough, nor did she have the shiny badges the prefects wore. Instead, she had a head full of curly black hair, a wide, brown face, and a toothy smile that dimpled her cheeks.

“Miss DunBroch, this is Clary Daniels. Miss Daniels, I would like to introduce you to Merida DunBroch. Miss Daniels is in 3rd year and she will help you with the classes you’ve missed. Tell her what you need and she will see that you get it. Miss Daniels, would you mind assisting her?”

“Not at all, professor.” Clary held out her hand to Merida. “Hullo, there. I’m happy to meet you. Let’s get this sorted out, shall we?”

Merida didn’t know what to make of the girl, or her new situation, but she took her hand.

When the two walked out of the classroom, Merida expected her senior to arrange a meet-up in the evening. Worst case, she’d ditch her then and there.

Instead, Clary ushered her in the direction of lunch. She instructed Merida to eat while she headed up to the professors’ table. A few minutes later she returned, ate lunch with Merida, and led her back to the Slytherin common room.

Surprisingly, there were several students already lounging there. While Merida sat in a corner, Clary wandered around the room and talked to a few of the seniors. She went with some of them down into the dorms and came back up with an armful of notes-books that she laid on the table in front of Merida.

“Those are my friends’ old first year notes-books, so there’s no hurry to return them. The professor for my afternoon class is absent today, and I checked in with your other professors earlier and got permission for you to skip the rest of your classes for today, too. We’ll look over the homework part in the evening. Right now, we do your notes.”

Together, the two of them spent the rest of the day getting Merida’s notes in order. Merida didn’t start on her homework that day, but she did get to read a page or two from her textbooks and knew something of to expect the next day.

It took the better part of the week for Merida to finally catch up on the homework.

“Why did she give me to you?”

Clary glanced up from the book she was reading.

“Because I won the lottery.” She chuckled at the look Merida sent her. “Kidding, kidding. I heard what you said. But what exactly do you mean?”

“It’s just…” Merida vaguely waved her hand, trying to find the words, “…wouldn’t it have made more sense if our professor—um, our Head of House—had asked a prefect or someone like that to help me? That’s…that’s their job, right?”

“That’s true. I think I know why, though.” She pointed to the textbook propped in front of Merida, borrowed from another one of her friends so that the scribbled in notes could give her the answers to her Herbology homework. “It seems I’m known for getting along well with most people. And since I’m not that much older than you, I wouldn’t come off as intimidating as one of the higher years would’ve—speaking of, I don’t think I’ve seen you talking with anyone else yet. Haven’t you made any friends?”

Merida looked away. She shrugged, rubbing at the ink on her nails. “It’s…awkward. Right now. Earlier, I didn’t…I wasn’t really there much, you know? Or in the classes. So…”

“…So now everyone else is pared up and you don’t really know where to start?”

Merida nodded.

“Eh, happens to the best of us. You’ll get there eventually, don’t worry. But just in case—” Clary leaned forward, bumping her hand with Merida’s, “—if there’s ever something bothering you, you can tell me, okay? That’s what seniors are for.”

“Thanks.” Merida mumbled. It was easier to say that than admitting what had really been on her mind the last few days.

Mainly, it was that awful girl she’d met on Monday. Turned out that sharing the same House with someone meant that one tended to see them around often. And she kept popping up everywhere.

It wasn’t even her toting around the same group of girls, either. Whenever Merida caught sight of her—in classes, the corridors, the dorms—she’d almost always be with a different set of faces. She seemed to be some sort of social butterfly like that, often seen giggling and chattering with whoever she was with.

She’d even attached herself to Merida’s other roommates, so she couldn’t catch a break there, either. It was why Merida avoided her dorm as often as she could.

How did that girl do it? Couldn’t other people see just how vile she was? Did they even notice?

Merida didn’t know. It made her nervous about her other classmates, not knowing what they cared about or what they thought of her. She hadn’t yet talked to the other two girls in her dorm either, and she wasn’t in a hurry to. Aside from Clary, she…hadn’t talked to anyone, really.

And it might’ve been her imagining it, but sometimes it felt like others were talking about her. She’d turn a corner and hear giggling come trailing behind her. Or she might walk too close to a group and they’d stop talking altogether. Sometimes there would be this strange, pointed itch on the back of her neck like someone was watching her.

It was just one more thing to add to the mess that was her head. She didn’t know where to start with it. There was just so much in there. Confusion, for one. Loneliness, heavy and aching, that grew worse and worse each day. And a hundred other little things to pile onto all that, but most of it boiled down to frustration.

She was frustrated, with herself, with her life, with her family and society and circumstances and the entire planet for abandoning her—

She felt so angry. It poured into everything she thought and felt. It seeped into the corners of her waking life and left her exhausted by sundown. She never knew she could feel like this. How could one person hold so much anger and hurt inside of them and not die from it?

She was supposed to be a happy girl. She’d had so much to be happy for in her life—her archery, her beloved horse, her family, her home—so many things. Sure, she’d get upset or moody every now and then, but everyone did, and she’d always considered herself a more or less happy person.

…There was a part of her (a larger part than she wanted to admit) that wondered if she was being a little too dramatic about all this. It was just boarding school. It was even in the same country. Her parents just wanted her to learn lessons somewhere else, that’s it. She’d already been having lessons for most of her life, so it wasn’t as if that was new.

But that wasn’t the point. For all she cared, they could’ve shipped her off to a land populated entirely by friendly horses and rolling hills and endless forests where all she’d have to do was spend her days exploring and having fun and none of that would’ve mattered because it wasn’t her choice.

She didn’t have any choice. Not really. Not where it mattered. She’d thought she did. She’d believed her parents actually cared about what she thought, that they listened to her when she had something to say. But that wasn’t true.

She’d yelled and pleaded and begged with them to at least compromise with her on this one thing, to just listen to her, and they didn’t care. No one cared about what she wanted because they’d already decided everything for her. And there was nothing she could do to change that.

Her choices didn’t belong to her. Her future didn’t belong to her. And the only thing this English school did was remind her of that fact every time she opened her eyes.

If she thought about it long enough then she didn’t know if she’d break something or cry.

So she didn’t. She pushed all that away. She put her head down and focused on her work and didn’t let herself think about anything else.

That attitude carried her through the week. It completed her homework and caught her up in her classes. The bracelet didn’t come off, but at least by then she’d grown used to it.

The air was cool and windy the day of her first flying lesson. She’d had to miss the actual first one the week before because of her back-logged worked, but that week she got to be outside and on the grounds.

The professor for it was none other than the same one who’d found her earlier. She introduced herself as Madam Greenleaf, and for the first few minutes she went over what they’d learnt the previous class. But then another professor had come by to speak with her and the two had gone off into the forest.

Merida stood next to her broom, idly looking around. Most of the other students had formed their own little groups, be it on the ground or in the air. On the edge of the designated flying field stood a wooden cabin, and beyond that loomed the strange, dark forest.

The professor had said she’d return in a few minutes but was within shouting distance should anyone need help. It’d been long enough for Merida to consider it a decent amount of waiting time.

Although she was from a magical background, Merida had never ridden a broom. The broom on the ground looked innocent enough. It also looked rather flimsy, now that she’d paired it with the thought of carrying her weight. But if one of those could get a grown adult up in the air then surely it wouldn’t have any trouble with her, right?

Merida held her arm above the broom and levelled it a stern look. Listen here, you. I have swung my Da’s sword and it’s bigger than you. I’ve ridden a horse that can make you into wood chips. Do not test me.

“Up!”

The broom shot up.

Merida caught it and gave it a twirl. Huh. That was easy.

The professor had said something about aligning the broom with the ground before riding it, but Merida made the executive decision to figure out the details later. First came flying, then came the rest.

Swinging the business end of the broom past her feet, she gripped the handle. The wood vibrated under her hands, suddenly warm to the touch. Tiny engravings slowly appeared on the surface. They flashed gold before melting back into the wood, and then all at once she felt lighter. Cool air swept from tip to bristle and swirled around her knees.

And then her feet her hovering over the ground.

Merida grinned. She’d done it! She tugged the handle upwards and the broom went higher. Its arc turned into a sideways tilt and Merida did an odd little spin in the air, somehow righting herself before she went upside down.

The coordination took her some time, but soon she was floating about two stories up. The wind brushed through her hair and ruffled her uniform, far gentler than from the back of a horse. But she could make it go as fast, if she wanted to. She knew she could. Maybe even faster.

It was all Merida could do not to go into a giggling fit, she was so happy with herself. Her classmates might’ve thought her strange—or something, she didn’t know—but the least she could do was not appear strange and bonkers where people could see her.

Her practice had taken her a little ways away from the rest of them, closer to the cabin. Movement on the ground caught her eye. On the side of the cabin not facing the flying field sat a small enclosure with fuzzy, dark creatures in it. Three of the Gryffindors huddled next to it.

Merida had flown close enough to clearly see that one of the boys had taken out his wand. He did something with his wand that made the creatures shuffle away from him. He did it again and the creatures started making a high-pitched sound. Meanwhile, his friends laughed.

She didn’t think. She twisted around and pitched her body forward, and the broom went from a hover to a steep dive. Half way there, Merida hooked her heels around the broom handle. She brought herself up to a crouch, took aim, and jumped.

Her foot hit the back of the boy’s head.

Merida rolled on the grass. She came to a stop on her back, the breath knocked out of her. Behind her came squawks and shouts from the boys. She stumbled to her feet and faced them.

The boy she’d hit was surprisingly awake and spitting out blood. He looked up and she saw he had a bloody nose. Between them lay his wand, tiny flames sputtering in the grass around it.

All three stared open mouthed at her. “You…you’re that Slytherin girl.”

Merida’s face twisted into a sneer.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She turned on her heel and made to leave. Then she turned around again and said, to the air at large, “And my accent is fine!”

As Merida started back to the castle, the Gryffindor boys went running to tell their classmates, shouting the entire way. Another thing to further fuel the rumour mills. At that point it probably wouldn’t be worth it to find out what that one would grow into.

She’d get a detention. The first of at least a few others, most likely. Even if she’d been doing well until then, it was hardly fair to think that would last.

But for now, that was a problem for future her.

.°○♧○°.

A/N:

- Most of the trouble I had with this chapter came from trying to describe Merida's mental state. I'm still not sure if I included too much or too little, or if it made sense.

The bottom line of it is this: Merida is mourning. She is mourning the loss of her childhood. She is grieving over reaching the boundaries of her world and realising that she cannot yet cross them. She is realising for the first time that she is a very small person in a very big world and that terrifies her.

As of now she doesn't know where her rage is coming from. It's spread out all over; sometimes it comes upon her and jabs a particular point like a needle prick, other times it feels like a directionless haze. She doesn't realise that underneath it is fear and grief. She is a very strong-willed soul. She wants to know that her mind and her strength are enough to bring about change, and that what she thinks and feels has an impact on the world. Because in a lot of ways, that's what she was raised to believe: the responsibilities of a queen will someday fall on her shoulders and she's been taught that the power she will hold means that what she does, what she thinks, how she talks, how she listens—that alone will hold enough power to rewrite the pages of her country's history.

To find out that her voice is only so strong, that there are so many things about her own life that're out of her control—it makes her feel powerless and hopeless. And that anger in her—it comes from the part of her that's trying to protect her. It sees those sad, hopeless feelings and it lashes out against them. She doesn't know just how much sadness she's feeling under all that hurt, and she's not ready to face those feelings yet. She is lonely, homesick, and hurting. She needs a good, long cry and someone who'll be there to listen to her. She needs a hug.

Merida suppressing her emotions + her not finding a healthy outlet for her feelings + her distancing herself from her classmates + her not keeping track of what kind of things people are telling about her = consequences for later

She's going to hurt for a while, but things will get better and she will make friends who care about her as a person within this fic. Pinky promise.

- I know it should've been obvious, but I only found out recently that there are prejudices faced by the Scots, the Irish, and many others from the UK and Europe who've had their languages and cultures targeted throughout history. And judging by the reactions in the comments section of the things I read, most westerners weren't aware of it either. A part of me from back when I was 12 felt vindictive pleasure here in writing Merida and her home education putting focus on her speaking skills. I used to read fics where Merida's dialogues were written so ridiculously and she was depicted as someone the rest of the characters couldn't understand at all. It made younger me confused and annoyed when in the movie itself she'd only had a slight accent.

I am fully aware that Hogwarts is in Scotland, and it is canon in this fic that about a third of the school is Scottish and Irish. But remember, this is an English institution, not a Scottish one. There are bound to be kids who grew up being taught those kinds of things attending it. If you want the truth, the girls who laughed at Merida didn't really care about that. For them, it merely served as a convenient excuse that they capitalised upon. Also, these prejudiced people? They're real funny. Like, they are so funny. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that this isn't anywhere near the funniest they can get.

On an entirely unrelated note I'm remembering that princess scene from the Ralph movie by Gisnep, that one particular scene about our princess being "from the other studio". If anyone knows which hilarious individuals green lit that one I'd appreciate it if they were directed my way. I just want to talk. :)

Anyways, that soon-to-be-named girl will get her comeuppance before the school year is up, so you can look forward to that.

- I feel like I've already said this somewhere, but once again the Slytherin House I've written here is different from the canon one, just like the Ravenclaw House I've written is also different. The next Merida POV chapter will elaborate more on this, and I hope it'll be made clearer then.

[gossipnetwork-blog]

50 Pop Culture Events Guaranteed to Get You Excited for 2018

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50 Pop Culture Events Guaranteed to Get You Excited for 2018

Getty Images; Melissa Herwitt/E! Illustration

Ladies and gentlemen, get those crisp, empty calendars out!

The time has finally come to say goodbye to the highs and lows of 2017 and hello to a new and totally cool 2018.

As pop culture super fans at E! News, we wanted to help celebrity lovers get pumped for the brand-new year. What better way to accomplish that goal than to create a handy guide of the movies, TV shows, concerts and trends coming sooner rather than later?

From Beyoncé‘s highly anticipated headlining performance at the Coachella Music Festival this April to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s fairytale wedding in May, we’ve got you covered in our gallery below.

So sit back, forget about those resolutions and get excited for what’s to come in the year ahead.

JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Princess Charlotte Heads to School

January: The two-year-old tot has an important year ahead of her as she begins attending Willcocks Nursery School in London. 

ABC

Arie Luyendyk Jr. Becomes The Bachelor

January 1: He’s back! Before Bachelor Nation is treated to the Winter Games spin-off, Arie will be given a shot at love. “I’m definitely a romantic,” he told E! News. “I love being the type of partner that surprises who I’m with and tries to do special things with them.” 

Courtney Hizey Photography & Emily Maultsby

Married at First Sight Returns

January 2: Six strangers have agreed to take a chance at love and get married at—you guessed it—first sight! Lifetime cameras will be there to document every moment and see if the couples decide to stay together or go their separate ways.

Fox

The X-Files Returns

January 3: Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are returning to their iconic roles of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder in the six-episode event series on Fox. 

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Oprah Winfrey’s Golden Globes Appearance

January 7: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced that the talk-show legend will be honored with the prestigious Cecil B. de Mille Award. And yes, we can’t wait for that acceptance speech either. 

Eric Jamison/Invision/AP

Camila Cabello Releases First Solo Album

January 12: After leaving Fifth Harmony, the singer is ready to release her debut solo album that already has huge hits including “Crying in the Club” and “Havana.” 

Entertainment Weekly

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Premieres

January 17: Penelope Cruz, Darren Criss, Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin will bring the tragic story of Versace’s murder at the hands of Andrew Cunanan to life on the small screen. And yes, the genius Ryan Murphy is behind the project. 

Bravo

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Returns

February: All things just keep getting better! Netflix has a new Fab Five that will forge relationships with men and women from a wide array of backgrounds and beliefs often contrary to their own.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Justin Timberlake Performs at Super Bowl 52

February 4: No matter who’s playing on the football field on game day, music fans will appreciate the “Suit and Tie” singer’s halftime performance. Will Janet Jackson make a surprise appearance? Stay tuned! 

CBS

Big Brother Celebrity Edition Premieres

February 7: For the first time, CBS will assemble a group of celebrities to live in the famous house. “Picture everything about Big Brother, but nonstop action because it’s going to be on a fast-forward button,” host Julie Chen teased to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Nathan Congleton/NBC

Olympic Winter Games Kick Off

February 8: Let the games begin! The best athletes from around the world will compete for Gold in South Korea. Prepare for hours of suspense, tears and inspiration. 

Focus Features

Fifty Shades Freed Hits Theatres

February 9: Your Valentine’s Day plans are already made thanks to the return of Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. The third installment promises plenty of suspense, surprises and sex.

Marvel

Black Panther Hits Theatres

February 16: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o star in Marvel’s latest big-screen project that is sure to be a box-office smash.

YouTube

Frozen Comes to Broadway

February 22: Disney’s latest production tells the timeless tale of two sisters, pulled apart by a mysterious secret. Both are searching for love, they just don’t know where to find it. St. James Theatre here we come!

Island Records

Demi Lovato Begins New Tour

February 26: The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer is hitting the road in support of her sixth studio album, Tell Me You Love Me. DJ Khaled will serve as a special guest.

TLC

Trading Spaces Returns

Spring: After a 10-year hiatus, the hit TLC show is back with host Paige Davis and beloved carpenters Ty Pennington and Carter Oosterhouse. 

Foxwoods Resort Casino

Guy Fieri’s Restaurant Hits the Seas

Spring: Carnival Cruise Line’s next cruise ship called Carnival Horizon will include Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse|Brewhouse. BBQ, beer and boats? Count us in! 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Pink’s Beautiful Trauma Tour Begins

March 1: Thanks to the success of her seventh studio album, the Grammy winner is hitting the road. Expect hits, flips and plenty of surprises throughout the country. 

Walt Disney Studios

A Wrinkle in Time Hits Theatres

March 9: The feature adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s iconic children’s novel has earned plenty of well-deserved buzz thanks partly to its star-studded cast and director Ava DuVernay. 

ABC

American Idol Returns

March 11: Host Ryan Seacrest will join judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie for ABC’s revival of the singing competition show. 

Facebook/Mean Girls on Broadway

Mean Girls Comes to Broadway

March 12: Tina Fey’s fetch movie is, like, coming to Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois.

Pottermore

Harry Potter Comes to Broadway

March 16: Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, the show follows Harry as he grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs. Seven stars of the original West End cast will reprise their roles at the Lyric Theatre.

ABC

Roseanne Revival Premieres

March 27: Get ready for the Conners’ comeback! Featuring the complete original cast including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert, ABC promised the show’s return will explore life, death and everything in between in the classic series’ brutally honest tone. 

Daniela Vesco/Invision for Parkwood Entertainment/AP Images

Beyonce Performs at Coachella

April: She’s back! After welcoming twins in 2017, the “Crazy in Love” singer is set to deliver an unforgettable headlining set during both weekends of the music festival. 

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate Middleton Welcomes Baby No. 3

April: Prince George and Princess Charlotte will have a younger sibling when the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William welcome their third child. 

Eliot Lee Hazel/Photo Courtesy of John Legend

Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! Premieres

April 1: John Legend is NBC’s Jesus Christ in the live musical production airing from the Marcy Armory in Brooklyn, New York this spring. 

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Kenny Chesney Begins Stadium Tour

April 21: Country music fans listen up! The “Come Over” singer brings his hits to the Trip Around the Sun tour that includes stops at multiple stadiums across the country. 

HGTV

Joanna Gaines Releases Cookbook

April 24: Cooking just like the Fixer Upper star got a whole lot easier. “I’ve been working on this project for quite some time now, and the whole process has really been so fun,” the HGTV star shared on her website. “The cookbook is full of my personal tried and true dishes, favorites from family and friends, and some recipes from our restaurant that I wanted to share.” 

Reese’s

Reese’s Outrageous Bar Hits Stores

May: Reese’s new candy is full of creamy peanut butter, surrounded by caramel and crunchy Reese’s Pieces candy and then covered in smooth milk chocolate. 

Larry Busacca/LP5/Getty Images for TAS

Taylor Swift Begins reputation Tour

May 8: In support of her latest record-breaking album, the Grammy winner will travel to stadiums across the country to perform her biggest hits. Expect star-studded crowds and surprises! 

Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA Wire

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding

May 19: While there are plenty of Hollywood couples who will likely say “I Do” in the year ahead, this royal wedding will capture the eyes of the world. We’re already prepared—and pumped—to set our alarms. 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Clear Channel

Maroon 5 Begins New Tour

May 30: The band behind huge hits like “What Lovers Do” and “Don’t Wanna Know” announced a 33-date North American tour in support of their album Red Pill Blues.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Faith Hill & Tim McGraw Continue Soul2Soul Tour

May 31: The country music power couple are hitting the road together again for their top-selling Soul2Soul tour. And yes, we are crossing our fingers for joint performances of “Speak to a Girl,” “I Need You” and more. 

Disney

Toy Story Land Comes to Disney World Resort

Summer: The new land located in Disney’s Halloween Studios will feature two new themed attractions including a family coaster. 

Emojipedia

Redhead Emojis Arrive

June: According to Emojipedia, phone users will finally be able to give emojis red hair. 

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Kesha & Macklemore Begin New Tour Together

June 6: The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore Tour kicks off in Phoenix where $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and PLUS 1. 

Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. Pictures

Oceans Eight Hits Theatres

June 8: Perhaps it’s the star-studded cast? Maybe it’s that intriguing trailer? Whatever the case may be, excitement is building for the follow-up to the Ocean‘s trilogy.

Disney/Pixar

The Incredibles 2 Hits Theatres

June 15: Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is left to care for Jack-Jack while Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is out saving the world in this highly anticipated sequel perfect for the entire family. 

Universal Studios

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Hits Theatres

June 22: Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from a dangerous volcano.

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Shakira Begins New Tour

August 3: The El Dorado world tour is slated to kick off in Chicago. While the singer had to postpone dates because of vocal cord recovery, fans are still excited to see the superstar singer perform her biggest hits of her career. 

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Ed Sheeran Begins Stadium Tour

August 18: After the success of Divide, the singer is on board for a North American stadium tour that will kick off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. 

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson Joins The Voice

Fall: The original American Idol winner has signed on for a spin in those iconic red chairs as a coach for season 14. “We’ve gone back and forth about a role as a coach for years, but the timing hasn’t been right until now,” Kelly shared at the time of the announcement. “I have always loved appearing on the show as an adviser or performer…Watch out Shelton, I’m comin’ to win!!”

People’s Choice Awards

People’s Choice Awards Moves to E!

November 11: The E! network has acquired the fan-favorite award show, which celebrates the best in pop culture and is voted on entirely by fans. Get ready for a star-studded show you won’t forget. 

Alex Dolan/PR Newswire

Lady Gaga Begins Las Vegas Residency

December: Pack your bags Fame Monsters because the “Born This Way” singer is headed to Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino’s Park Theater to sing her favorite songs for audiences around the world.

Walt Disney Pictures

Mary Poppins Returns Hits Theatres

December 25: With a cast of Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and more, something tells us the waiting until next Christmas will be worth it for this Disney movie.  

Taco Bell

Taco Bell Expands $1 Menu

All Year: Step aside, McDonalds. Taco Bell hopes to satisfy fast-food lovers with 20 new options on its Dollar Cravings Menu throughout the year. Their most recent add was a $1 “Stacker.”

Universal Studios

Kung Fu Panda Comes to Universal Studios Hollywood

TBD: Another level of awesomeness at DreamWorks Theatre will feature Kung Fu Panda as parkgoers are immersed in a brand-new multisensory attraction. Join Master Po on an unstoppable adventure of awesomeness destined to stimulate your senses, exercise your wit and unlock the hero within through the power of kung fu.

Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for SOBEWFF

Giada De Laurentiis Opens New Las Vegas Restaurant

TBD: The celebrity chef and Food Network superstar plans to open her second restaurant. Called Pronto by Giada, the establishment will be inside Caesars Palace and serve as a quick-service eatery with Italian and Californian fare. 

Photos

See More From 50 Pop Culture Events Coming in 2018

Anyone else feeling excited for the months to come? Let’s do this 2018!

Don’t miss E! News every weekday at 7 and 11 p.m.

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